June 16, 2022

Evensong on Sunday marked not only the close of that day, but the close of a spring which included a return to many things we weren’t able to do together during the pandemic. Celebrating Pentecost marked another steppingstone in our journey through things that we have missed for three years and it feels good to experience the predictable rhythm of the church year (not that ‘predictable’ is in any danger of returning to my vocabulary).   

For me, that familiar rhythm also serves to highlight the many ways that we have changed and grown as a church. People who were ‘new’ when we weren’t here to meet them in person are now integral to our life and activities. Midweek is now a part of our rhythm. Children grow older even faster when I don’t see them as often and it is a new group running around the Cloister or Bishop Garden while we meet in Hadley Hall. Amid uncertainty and an unfamiliar path, we embraced new things and took the risk of moving forward with new visions. 

As Dave McSweeney shared in the newsletter several weeks ago, at our Vestry Retreat in May, Rev. Nick read Joshua 1:1-9 about God’s commissioning of Jacob in the aftermath of Moses’ death and posed questions to us: Where have we been over the past year together? Where are we now, and what crossroads are we facing? In the Midweek Bible Study several weeks later, he read the same passage and asked that group similar questions. At the Mission & Outreach Retreat this past weekend, that group began the day in the chapel with the same reading and similar questions.   

Each time I hear the words in the passage from Joshua and each time I reflect on the questions, I notice different things and my answers change a bit. Similarly, the conversation within each group evolves in a different way reflecting the experiences and connections in that group. Yet, there are echoes across the conversations that reflect the ties between us and our shared experience of church at Epiphany.

As we continue to talk about where we are and where we feel called to go, I am energized by what is new and deeply grateful for being with so many of you again in the familiar rhythms of Epiphany.   

Nelia Newell 

Please register this week for Epiphany's intergenerational Parish Weekend Away at the Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center in Greenfield, NH the weekend of September 23-25, 2022! To sign up, please click the button below. 

Please note the parish office will be closed on Monday, June 20 in honor of Juneteenth. 

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. For ideas on how to honor Juneteenth, check out this list of resources for all ages from St. James' Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. 

Do you have a birthday or anniversary during the month of July that you would like remembered in 3 Crowns and the Sunday bulletin? If so, please send the details to Kathryn in the parish office by Sunday, June 26. 

Beginning this Sunday morning, June 19, the Summer Choir will assist in leading the music at our 10:00 am services, and we would like to invite anyone interested to join in. No commitment needed — simply be in the choir loft at 9:00 am on any Sunday you choose, and we will prepare the music for that day. Make it a family event if you like; anyone entering second grade or older is invited to sing. The summer choir will not vest or process. If you’ve ever considered joining the Parish Choir, but were afraid of making that commitment, this is your chance to give choir a try in a more relaxed setting. We hope to see some new faces and hear some new voices over the summer. If you have questions, please contact Jeremy Bruns in the music office at: jbruns@3crowns.org

Registration is open for our Youth Group Lock-In! We'll gather the evening of Friday, June 24 for a progressive dinner before returning to the church for a camp-out in the Bishop's Garden, with s'mores, games, and fellowship. Participants will sleep in individual tents, to minimize the risk of Covid transmission. On Saturday, we will learn more about a local organization making a difference in the community, and spend a couple hours working with them. Please reach out to Eva Dalzell with any questions or if you'd like to help out!

Please note that Epiphany's Bible study, held on Sundays at 9:00 am, will be on hiatus during the months of July and August. Join us for our last meetings of the program year on June 19 and June 26. Bible study will resume following Labor Day. 

On Friday, July 29, 80 kids and staff from B-SAFE, the summer program run by St. Stephen's Youth Programs (SSYP), will visit Winchester. We will play, splash, run and create in the morning at Shannon Beach on Mystic Lake and then we will eat, laugh and witness some amazing magic at Epiphany in the afternoon.

We will also provide 50 bags of groceries for families facing food insecurity. Your donation of time and food will help make the magic happen. Click here to donate food and click here to volunteer your time.

Please contact Betsy Walsh with any questions. Thank you!

After the last couple of years, we need to make sure that our Friends In Deed list is up to date. If you want to remain on this list, if you would like to join us, or if you have any questions, please let Sara Post know. 

Friends In Deed is a group of parishioners who show the love of this community in times of need and moments of celebration. When a need arises, a request is sent out to all our members and they respond as they are able. We've provided rides to appointments, meals, small gestures of care (plant, flowers, bread), and even helped with baby holding. Our Baptismal Covenant asks us to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as our self. Friends In Deed does this.

Eva Dalzell's final day as Interim Director of Youth Ministries will be Sunday, July 10, after which she will be moving to New Jersey to attend Princeton Theological Seminary. She is deeply grateful for all the support she's been given and everything she's learned in her time at Epiphany, and is excited for the next stage of Epiphany's life as a community with Janelle Hiroshige as the Associate for Youth and Community Partnerships.

A new May 2022 Epiphany household directory is now available for download! However, we need your help. This is the first directory produced with our new database program, Realm — please take a moment to review your household information and confirm its accuracy. For any corrections or changes, please contact Kathryn in the parish office. 

We are looking forward to fellowship hours on Sundays in June, and would greatly appreciate your help! Please click on the button below to contribute a baked good, fresh fruit, a gluten-free snack, and/or your time. 

Many people have already committed to leadership roles but there are still positions open. Find a friend and sign up! There is a detailed book on what has been done in the past, but you can remake it to be new, different and yours! Most needed is a co-chair or co-chairs who will be able to take over next year. The Children's Room needs leaders. You might have some great ideas for activities to engage our young people. If you'd like to be more involved with Jewelry, White Elephant, or any of the other areas, sign up.

Over the summer if you make jams or do crafts, consider saving some to contribute to the fair. What can you contribute to the silent auction? Collaborate with friends to do a theme basket! Offer tickets to a sporting event, theater, or symphony! Share a vacation home! Offer to share your unique talent for a tour, dinner, you name it!

Contact Sara Post with any questions or to sign up.